Backers of Tina Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk serving prison time in Colorado, are urging officials to relocate her from a state-run facility to a federal prison.
They argue a federal institution would offer a safer environment while she continues her appeal of her state conviction. Recently, the Federal Bureau of Prisons formally requested that Colorado consider transferring her.
Current Incarceration and Background
Peters is being held at La Vista Correctional Facility, a medium-security women’s prison in Pueblo. In 2024, she received a nine-year sentence after being convicted on multiple felony charges related to helping an individual gain unauthorized access to Dominion voting machines in Mesa County in 2021.
Although the move has been requested, Colorado has not confirmed whether it will approve a transfer. A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) said via email that officials are still reviewing the request.
Colorado DOC Confirms Receipt of Federal Request
According to CDOC, the letter from the federal Bureau of Prisons arrived on November 12, 2025. Officials stated that the document is undergoing review, following all required procedures.
The DOC emphasized that transferring a prisoner to another jurisdiction involves a multi-step, multi-disciplinary assessment.
They added that such transfers cannot be initiated solely by outside parties and are typically reserved for complex safety or long-term security situations.
Peters’ Legal Team Pushes for Federal Intervention
Peters’ attorneys are also seeking relief through a federal habeas petition, asking a judge to release her on bond during the appeals process.
Her lead lawyer, Peter Ticktin, said he is pressing the U.S. Department of Justice to help secure a federal transfer, citing ongoing safety concerns about Peters’ current placement.
Ticktin described his client as someone who may be more vulnerable in a state facility. He noted that Peters has allegedly faced threats and struggles to be moved into a safer housing area in the prison.
According to him, Colorado officials told the defense that Peters’ disciplinary infractions prevent her from being relocated within the facility.
DOC Declines Comment on Disciplinary Issues
The Colorado DOC would not confirm whether Peters has reported threats or whether she has been written up for rule violations. Ticktin claimed she has been barred from moving to a more protected unit due to a history of behavioral write-ups.
Attorney’s Background and Political Dimension
Ticktin, a Florida-based constitutional lawyer, previously advocated for pardons for individuals involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He has a long-standing relationship with Donald Trump, dating back to their school years at the New York Military Academy.
He has questioned whether the Justice Department is doing enough to support Peters’ transfer and suggested she is being singled out because of her political affiliations and support for Trump.
“Tina Peters is a proud American,” he said. “She’s not ashamed of anything she’s done because she believes she isn’t a criminal.”
Political Voices and Federal Involvement
The DOJ is already participating in Peters’ habeas proceedings. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly posted online urging her release and calling her a “brave and Innocent patriot.”
Peters argues that Judge Matthew Barrett, who oversaw her trial, denied her bail to suppress her views about election integrity, violating her First Amendment rights.
State’s Response on Bail Denial
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser countered that bail was denied because the court determined Peters posed both a flight risk and a danger to the community.
He noted that the relevant legal question is not whether the state court’s decision was correct, but whether it was objectively unreasonable.
The push to transfer Tina Peters to a federal prison has intensified as her supporters, attorneys, and political allies claim she faces safety risks inside the state system.
Colorado authorities maintain that any transfer must follow strict procedures and emphasize that her bail was denied based on legal findings, not political opinion.
As the appeal, federal petition, and transfer review continue, the case remains a flashpoint in ongoing debates surrounding election integrity, criminal justice, and political polarization in the United States.
